A Band of Four (RWBY AU)
by Kerrigor2
Summary: Now that Ruby and Yang have made it into Beacon, the pair set out to take the world by storm.
1. Chapter 1

Ruby closed her eyes and rolled her head around, popping the joints in her neck. She leant her head back against the seat back behind her and yawned. The train sped along, approaching Vale quickly. The trip had been several hours long, and Ruby had fallen asleep as soon as the train had pulled out of the station. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she glanced over at Yang.

Yang sat in the seat next to Ruby, wearing her yellow, flame emblazoned head phones. Ruby could hear the low drone of the music Yang was listening to, she also recognised the song. Yang looked out the window, nodding her head to the music. She had Ember and Celica in her hands and was using them to rhythmically beat the seat in front of her in time with the music.

Yang glanced over, noticing Ruby was finally awake.  
"Oh, hey sis!" she said as she pulled off her head phones. "Did you have a nice nap?"  
"How long was I asleep for?" Ruby moaned. Her mind was still a haze. She hadn't had time to fully wake up yet.  
"About four hours." Yang replied with a grin. "You missed the snack cart at least three times." Ruby let out a quiet groan.  
"I was looking forward to having a cookie."  
"Just because Uncle Qrow isn't here to tell you off, doesn't mean you should start binging on sweets."

Ruby poked her tongue out at Yang as she reached for her bag on the floor. Yang shrugged and replaced her headphones over her ears. The drone of her music started again as she put them on. Ruby pulled out her own headphones and placed them on her head. She scrolled through her music library, searching for anything to listen to.

She scrolled down until a song title caught her eye: _From the Outside. _She selected it and leant back, closing her eyes once more. She turned the volume up as the introductory drums began rolling through her ears. She immediately turned it back down slightly when the guitars joined the fray. Ruby never usually listened to heavy metal music, but Yang had all but forced her to listen to this band in particular. And, despite Ruby's usual distaste for the genre, she found herself enjoying them. The music carried Ruby away from the train, away from the anxiety that was filling her. She let herself drift along the tides of the song.

The train jostled slightly and began to slow down. Ruby looked out the window, over Yang's head, hoping for a glimpse of Beacon. She thought she could pick out the spires of the school over the tops of the other buildings, but the train was still moving too fast to be sure. She glanced up at the luggage rack above her head, checking Crescent Rose was still there.

Ruby looked back out the window, her head bobbing in time with the music that blared through her headphones. She found her fingers moving through the air, pressing on and picking imaginary strings. She closed her eyes, imagining Crescent Rose in her hands, and a smile crept over her face.

She opened her eyes as the song ended, just as the train jerked to a halt. Yang pulled her headphones off, beginning to stand up. She nudged Ruby to her feet, hurrying her along. Ruby was happy to oblige. She sprang to her feet, grabbing her bags and slinging Crescent Rose's case over her shoulder. Yang tucked Ember and Celica into the back of her shorts before picking up her own bags and following Ruby off the train with a wide grin.

"So this is it," Yang said as they disembarked. "We made it to Vale." People were walking all around the two of them, going about their own business. Ruby was beginning to feel very out of place, she'd never been to Vale before.  
"Now we just have to get to Beacon." She said, looking up at her sister.  
"Uncle Qrow said he booked us a cab, we just have to find the driver." Yang replied as she lead the way to the train station's exit.

They came out of the train station and into an even larger throng of people. The sun was high in the sky and there were no clouds in sight. Ruby and Yang pushed their way through the crowd until they found a suited man holding a cardboard sign that read "Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long". They waded over to him, placed their bags and belongings in the trunk of his car and climbed in the back seat.

"Damn," Yang sighed. "That crowd was _huge_!"  
"You can say that again," Ruby muttered. "Are crowds always that big here?" They slumped back in their seats, panting lightly. They rushed to clip their seatbelts on as the car jolted, rushing forward.

They sped through the streets of Vale, passing offices, shops and houses. The driver turned the car down so many corners that within five minutes, Ruby had completely lost her sense of direction. If she got out of the car, she knew she'd never find the train station again. She gazed out the window, watching the people-filled streets flashing past. Her breath caught as she saw Beacon in the distance, flashing between the buildings.

The car drove out of the buildings and onto a bridge, crossing the river that ran through Vale.  
"Wow!" Ruby yelled, pressing her face up to the window.  
"Nice view huh." Yang said, peering around Ruby. The view before Ruby was incredible. A long, winding river making its way through Vale and, at the end of it, Ruby's first unobstructed view of Beacon Academy. Its tall spires stretching towards the clouds, Beacon looked down on all of Vale.

Ruby turned to Yang, grinning widely. She grabbed sister into a hug and squealed in excitement.  
"I can't believe it!" she squeaked. "We actually made it into Beacon!"  
"It took a lot of work," Yang replied, patting Ruby on the head. "But yeah, we made it. Mom would be proud." The smile faded from Ruby's face at the mention of Summer. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if she would actually have been proud, if she'd have even cared. Ruby held onto Yang, doing her best not to cry.

Before Ruby could completely regain her composure, the car pulled up at the doors to Beacon Academy. The driver turned off the car and quickly jumped out. He rushed around to get their bags out of the car, setting them gently at the foot of the stairs to Beacon's main doors. Ruby and Yang pulled themselves out of the car and stood, awestruck, gazing up at the magnificent façade of Beacon Academy. It hadn't really hit Ruby that they were going to Beacon until she was standing at the doors.

She swallowed nervously, taking a hesitant step back. Yang looked at her, concerned.  
"Ruby?" she asked. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine, totally fine." Ruby replied, trying to smile.  
"Come on Ruby, there's no need to be nervous. We worked hard to get here, we've earned this."  
"Yeah, I guess so." Ruby nodded. She was still anxious though. _Am I really good enough?_ She thought. _Do we really belong here? _Trying to push down her anxiety, Ruby picked up her bags, slung Crescent Rose's strap over her shoulders and followed Yang up to the doors.

The doors to Beacon Academy opened, revealing a bustling hall of students, all holding their own bags and belongings. People were walking back and forth, talking and yelling, laughing and crying. There was a large screen hanging from a giant pillar in the centre of the room, showing a montage of Beacon's successful graduates.  
"See Ruby," Yang said, gesturing towards a girl who was sitting in the corner of the room crying. "You're not the only one who's nervous." Ruby threw a punch at Yang's shoulder in reply.  
"Oh shut up Yang, I'm not _that_ nervous." Ruby said, pouting slightly. Yang merely laughed and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders, giving her a quick, one-armed hug.

The crowd quietened quickly as a blonde woman's face appeared on the screen. _Hello students,_ a voice issued from speakers around the room, _and welcome to Beacon Academy. As we're sure you all know: Beacon Academy is one of the leading schools in Remnant for musicians of any nationality, instrument and genre. You've all worked hard to be accepted into the prestigious academy, and we're proud to have you here. During your time here, you will hone your craft and acquire new skills, what skills you haven't acquired already. You will meet new people, make new friends, and you might even find people to join you in your future endeavours. Now, if you will all calmly head through the doors at the back of the room, you will all be taken for a quick tour and orientation._

Ruby looked at Yang excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was still nervous, but excitement was beginning to take over. Whether or not she belonged here, whether or not she would make it or fit in, she would at least get to see around Beacon. _Beacon! _Every one who'd ever picked up an instrument dreamed of going to Beacon and anyone who played seriously always aspired to graduate from it. She headed through the door, further into Beacon, with a wide grin on her face.

* * *

Orientation had consisted of being broken into smaller groups of about ten students and taken on a tour of the campus. Ruby had relished every second of it. She'd gotten a close look at the school's facilities: their stages, studios and classrooms. It was incredible.

After the orientation, Ruby and Yang had headed off to find their dormitory. They wandered through the dormitory wing of the school, searching for their room. Ruby led the way down the hall, taking note of the numbers on the doors they passed.

She came to a sudden halt. Yang didn't notice in time and walked into her, almost knocking Ruby over and tripping herself.  
"Hey!" she exclaimed, catching herself before she fell over. "What's up?"  
"Listen." Ruby was straining her ears, searching for the sound she'd heard seconds before. _There it is! _She could hear the gentle sound of piano keys drifting through air. She rushed towards the sound, coming to a stop in front of one of them dorm rooms.

"**Mirror, tell me something.**" A quiet, gentle voice drifted from the room, accompanying the piano. Ruby listened at the door, enraptured. "**Tell me who's the loneliest of all.**" Ruby's ears perked up as she heard an orchestra joining the piano. Yang joined Ruby at the door, tilting her head to one side.  
"Do they have an orchestra in that room or something?" She asked. Ruby shrugged in response. "Well, there's only one way to find out."

Yang knocked on the door loudly. The music cut off and the hall felt empty, as if the loss of the music actually retracted from the world around them. The door opened and a beautiful girl with pale, white hair in a white dress stood before them.  
"Yes?" she asked. "Can I help you?" Ruby was floundered, searching for an answer.  
"Uh… I… I mean, we…" She stammered, struggling to find the words.  
"This is our dorm." Yang cut in. Ruby looked up at her sister, confused, then checked the number on the door. Sure enough, it was their room.

"Oh," the pale girl said. "Well, come on in." She stepped aside, opening the door wider to let them in. Ruby and Yang crossed the threshold, inspecting their new room. It was fairly plain: white walls, light brown floorboards, four beds. One of the beds had a keyboard and an open laptop on it. Ruby looked at the girl who'd let them in as she made her way back over to the bed, closing the laptop and turning the keyboard off.

"I'm Weiss." She said, holding a hand out to Ruby. Ruby reached out and shook it.  
"I'm Ruby."  
"I'm Yang." Yang said, taking Weiss' hand and shaking it. "So we have one more person who'll be bunking with us?"  
"Yes, I haven't seen them yet though. I'm sure our last roommate will show up eventually." Weiss said, turning back to her bags.

"So you play the keyboard?" Ruby asked, setting her things on one of the beds. Weiss looked up, a joking smile on her face.  
"I'd have thought that was obvious." She said, pointing towards the keyboard on the bed.  
"Well, yeah." Ruby said, blushing. "I heard other instruments though."  
"Oh, that." Weiss said, nodding. "The good thing about keyboards it they can simulate a plethora of other instruments. I can write music for other instruments on the keyboard and then run them through the laptop there."  
"And you sing?" Ruby asked eagerly.  
"Uh, no," Weiss said, blushing. "Not really. I'm not very good at it. I just write music. I was only singing because, well, I don't have any friends who can sing."  
"Oh," Ruby said, trying to think of something nice to say. "Well I thought you sounded great."  
"No, I'm really not good enough." Weiss said. "I wrote that song a while ago, and I'm not really a good enough singer for it."  
"You wrote it?" Yang asked.  
"That's correct."  
"Then why couldn't you just write it so you could sing it?"  
"Well I _can_," she said. "But not the way I'd like it to be sung. I wrote the music first, and then higher vocals seemed fit in better. But I can't sing that high."  
"It doesn't sound like you're not good enough then." Ruby said. "You just don't have the pitch, and that doesn't mean you're bad at all. I thought you sounded great."

"So what do you two play?" Weiss asked, steering the conversation away from herself. Ruby perked up, opening Crescent Rose's case.  
"I play the guitar!" she said excitedly. "This is Crescent Rose."  
"You named your guitar?" Weiss asked, raising her eyebrow.  
"Uh… Yeah," Ruby answered. She blushed embarrassedly.  
"Don't be embarrassed." Weiss laughed. "I named my keyboard too."  
"What'd you name it?" Ruby asked.  
"I… I don't really like to tell people."  
"Oh… That's okay. Don't worry about it." Ruby said with a smile.

"Well I play the drums." Yang said, pulling out Ember and Celica, her favourite drumsticks. She twirled them through her fingers dexterously.  
"Oh, that must be yours over there then." Weiss said, pointing to the corner of the room. Ruby and Yang turned around. There was a yellow-painted drum kit sitting in the corner, all set up and ready to be used. Yang squealed in excitement and rushed over to it.  
"My baby!" she squealed, sitting on the stool in the middle of the drums. She spun around in a quick circle, delighted. She twirled Ember and Celica around again before playing a quick drum solo. She hit every drum and cymbal at least twice, testing them all to make sure they were set up right.

"Wow," Weiss said quietly to Ruby. "She's good." Ruby smiled at Weiss' praise of her sister.  
"She's worked hard." She replied.  
"Looks like it's all set up right." Yang said, standing up. "Awesome! Remind me to thank Uncle Qrow for shipping these over for me."

As Ruby and Yang started unpacking, there was a knock at the door. Ruby headed over to open it, revealing a tall girl with long, black hair. She was wearing an almost entirely black outfit and a black bow in her hair.  
"Hi!" Ruby said cheerfully, ushering the girl in. "You must be our last roommate!"  
"Hi," the girl said calmly as she stepped into the room. She had a bag in one hand and a guitar case strapped over the other shoulder. "I'm Blake."  
"I'm Ruby."  
"Weiss,"  
"Yang,"  
"Nice to meet all of you. I guess I was the last one here?"  
"I think so." Ruby said. "It's only four to a room isn't it?"  
"Yes." Weiss said from her bed, she was already unpacked. "It's a maximum of four people per room, some have less though."

Ruby turned away from Blake to finish unpacking and stopped short as she saw Yang. Yang was staring intently at Blake, a thoughtful expression on her face.  
"Yang," Ruby whispered. "What are you doing?" Yang shook her head, turning back to her bags.  
"Nothing," she whispered back. "She just looks familiar."  
"Where would you have seen her before?"  
"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to figure out."

Ruby turned away, facing Blake again. Blake had dropped her belongings on the last available bed and was beginning to unpack.  
"So," Ruby began. "You play the guitar?" Blake looked up, still unpacking.  
"No," she said, looking back down. "I play the bass."  
"Oh cool!" Ruby said excitedly. "I've never met anyone who played the bass before."  
"It's not that common anymore."  
"Yeah, but I think it's cool."  
"Do you play it too?"  
"Uh, no…" Ruby said, blushing. "I play the guitar."  
"Going for the glory too, huh?" Blake said, rolling her eyes.

"N- no," Ruby stuttered. "It's not like that at all. I play it because I've been learning it all my life. It's just what I've always played. And I've had years to get good enough at it to come to Beacon. I wouldn't change and start a new one now. Besides, my mom taught me…" Ruby trailed off, closing her eyes. _Why did I say that,_ she thought, mentally kicking herself. She didn't want to think of Summer. Remembering the good times only made it hurt more at night.  
"And I suppose you have the same opinion of bassists as everyone else? Hiding in the background, not important at all?" Blake said bitterly.  
"No, not at all," Ruby replied with a smile. "I tried the bass at one point, just to see what it was like. I'd played the guitar for _ages_ and I wanted to try something new. The bass seemed like the closest thing, something I could get the hang of quickly. But it's _really_ tough. I really respect people that can play it, I know I couldn't. Sure you don't get as much recognition from the audience, but I think you get more from other musicians."

A smile spread over Blake's face; even she could feel the sincerity in Ruby's voice. "I didn't realise." She said. "Sorry about that, I always get a little worked up over that sort of thing. I shouldn't let it get to me as much as it does. I… I was pretty much forced into playing the bass. The band I used to be in… Well… Everyone wanted to play the guitar. I was one of them. We had a drummer, two singers and three guitarists. They forced me into playing the bass because they wanted the glory of playing the guitar. So I got forced to the back and never got noticed."  
"Oh, that's awful." Ruby said. "If you hated it so much the–"  
"I didn't say I hated it." Blake cut her off. "Just that I was forced into it. I was against it at first, but I grew to like it pretty quickly. And I got used to being a backup singer."  
"Backup singer too?" Weiss joined the conversation. "They really did push you to the back didn't they?"  
"That's part of why I left." Blake replied. "They were too hungry for glory, too aggressive and I didn't like where the band was going."

"I _knew _recognised you!" Yang yelled. The other three turned to her, all looking confused. "I've been trying to place it ever since you walked in the door." She continued. "You're the bassist for White Fang!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh damn it," Blake groaned, flopping onto her bed. "I'm here for not even an hour and someone _already_ recognises me."  
"Oh my God!" Yang squealed. Ruby looked at her, slightly worried. She'd never seen Yang this excited before.  
"Please," Blake hissed as she rolled off her bed. "Be quiet!" She stood in front of Yang, trying to calm her down.  
"You are, aren't you?" Yang whispered, barely containing herself. "You're Blake Belladonna!"  
"Yes, yes, I am. Now can you _please _be quiet?"

Yang took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.  
"But, what are you doing _here_?" she asked. Her voice was noticeably calmer. Not completely calm, but better.  
"I told you," Blake said. "I left White Fang." Yang gaped at her, horrified.  
"_Why?_" she cried, falling to her knees.  
"Get up," Blake said, tugging on Yang's arms. "I told you, I didn't like the direction the band was going in. They were too hungry for glory, and they always just pushed me to the back. I was never important. They've probably already replaced me. I never really felt like a member of the band, I just played the bass for them."

"But…" Yang whispered. She sounded heart broken. "Why are you _here?_"  
"At Beacon?" she asked. Yang nodded. "I'm here because White Fang is signed to Grimm Studios." Blake answered with a grin. "Everyone knows that Beacon and Grimm are competitors, and basically arch rivals. Beacon is determined to keep music genuine, to keep artists musically talented. Grimm takes whoever sounds good and happens to be popular off the street and gives them money until the listeners get sick of them." This was common knowledge to most people who wanted to be a musician. Grimm Studios were the people that were filling the music business with nonsense, music that all sounded the same and could barely be classed as music. But because they managed to market it well, it became popular and Grimm made a mint. White Fang was an exception to that rule: they had seemed like a genuine band. That was something that hadn't come from Grimm in a long time, which many people thought contributed to their success.

"I left them because I realised that Grimm wasn't doing anything for us as musicians, they just wanted to make money. The rest of the band was okay with that as long as they got a cut, but I wanted to improve. I know that White Fang really isn't the most technically talented band out there, none of the bands Grimm signs are. But they didn't care enough about the music to improve, so I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their quest for profit, and decided to dedicate my life to performing for Beacon."  
"But," Yang said. "White Fang is an all Faunus band…" Blake rolled her eyes, reached up to the bow in her hair and yanked it out. Beneath it were two small, adorable cat ears.

"Oh my God that's so cute!" Ruby squealed, earning a bland look from Blake. She shut her mouth with a disappointed snap as her teeth clapped together.  
"Look, I know we just met and all. And yes Yang, I know that you're excited. But can we just keep this between us? I don't really want people to know I'm connected to White Fang."  
"Why?" Yang asked. "I'm sure you'd be popular."  
"Firstly, I don't know if I would be. I was signed to Beacon's competitor, remember? And secondly, I want a fresh start. I don't want to be known as White Fang's bassist anymore. I want to be my own musician, in a band where I'm seen as an equal."  
"Well I think bass players are awesome!" Ruby said with a wide grin. "I've tried my hand at the bass before, and it seemed a lot harder than guitar."  
"So you've said." Blake said with a small smile.

They all turned to the door as music drifted down the hall. Blake walked over to a button near the door and pressed it. The gap between the door and the doorframe sealed off and the sound from outside was cut off.  
"All the rooms can be soundproofed." Blake said to Ruby's confused look. "Didn't they tell you that in orientation?"  
"Oh, that's awesome!" Ruby yelled.  
"So," Blake said. "What are you guys like? Let's hear you play."  
"What?" Yang said, sounding scared. "I couldn't do that."  
"Why not?"  
"You're the bassist fo–"  
"No I'm not. I'm Blake, remember?"  
"But…"  
"Just play." Blake said, rolling her eyes. "We're roommates, so I'm going to hear you play eventually. We might as well do it now."

Ruby and Yang rushed to their instruments at the same time. Yang sat down at her drum kit, hitting the kick drum a couple of times. Ruby unpacked Crescent Rose and plugged it into the amp that she set on the floor. From her bag she pulled out a microphone stand and the microphone, plugging it into a speaker. Blake rolled her eyes.  
"Guitar _and_ a singer?" she asked w. "You really do go for glory, don't you?" Ruby and Yang ignored her, making sure they were set up properly.  
"So," Yang said, twirling her drumsticks around. "What song?" Ruby pondered for a few seconds.  
"This Will Be the Day?"  
"Let's do it."

Ruby slung Crescent Rose's strap over her shoulder, rolled her shoulders and swung her head around, loosening her neck. Her amp let out the high-pitched screech of her fingers sliding on the strings. She looked at Yang, nodding. Ruby was in her zone now; this is where she felt comfortable. Any nervousness at playing for the bassist of White Fang was gone. Closing her eyes, Ruby took a deep breath and began to play.

The fingers of her right hand danced on the neck of the guitar, pressing down the strings while her left hand strummed the chords. Yang joined in, adding her slow drum beat to the mix. Opening her eyes, Ruby stepped up to the microphone. She looked at Blake and Weiss, who were both watching with interest.

_"_**They see you as small and helpless**_." _Blake and Weiss both perked up, looking surprised at Ruby's voice. Ruby couldn't help but grin._ "_**They see you as just a child.**_"_

_"_**Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild**_." _Yang slammed down on her cymbal, bashing at it in time as the drums got heavier. Ruby grinned even wider, this was what she and Yang lived for. She lost herself in the music as it flooded the room, lifting her away.

* * *

_"_**In time your heart will open minds! A story will be told and victory is in a simple soul!**_" _Ruby ended the song as she always did, sliding up the neck of the guitar. She looked up at Blake and Weiss, who were both staring at Ruby and Yang, gaping.  
"Holy crap…" Blake muttered. "That was _awesome!_" Ruby blushed, Yang beamed. "Did you guys _write_ that?"  
"Uh, yeah…" Ruby answered shyly.  
"Oh my God, that's insane." Blake said.  
"You really liked it?" Yang asked as she stood up.  
"Yeah, that kicked ass!"  
"Well…" Yang said thoughtfully. "Ruby and I are looking for band members, and we need a bassist…"  
"Is that right?" Blake asked as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Well then, I wish you both the best of luck. I hope you find a good one."

Yang hung her head, disappointed. Ruby couldn't help but giggle at the look on her sister's face. She just looked so dejected, like a child in a candy store who was told they couldn't have any.  
"Oh come on," Blake said as she rolled her eyes. "I only just met you guys. I don't know how we'd mesh. I just left a band that I had a terrible time fitting in with and I don't want to dive straight into another one." Yang looked up thoughtfully, nodding at Blake.  
"I guess that makes sense. So we just hang out until you feel like we'd work out?" she asked, hope rising in her voice.  
"Well you two are certainly good enough, just give it some time. Then we'll see."

Ruby found herself looking over at Weiss, who was sitting quietly on her bed watching the exchange between Yang and Blake. She had a small smile on her face and was watching them with interesting. Ruby could see her idly pressing the key on her keyboard, though it was switched off. It looked like she didn't even know she was doing it.

"Hey Weiss," Ruby said as she walked over to her. "You okay?"  
"Of course," she said, looking up at Ruby. "I'm fine."  
"You just seem really quiet, that's all."  
"They seemed to be getting on just fine without me so I thought I'd just sit here."  
"Come on Weiss, you're our roommate too. Come and join in!"  
"No, no. I'm fine here."  
"Weiss, we're going to be living together for the next year, at least. You're going to have to talk to us eventually."  
"Yeah Weiss," Yang chimed in. "Let us hear you play something. We want a keyboard player too."

Weiss blushed slightly as she stood up.  
"I really don't think I'm good enough to play with you guys." She said. Yang threw an arm over Weiss' shoulders.  
"Don't be silly, just play something for us."  
"O-o-okay," she stuttered. She looked down embarrassedly as she walked back over to keyboard. She switched it on and opened up her laptop.

"Are you sure you want me to play?" she asked, a pleading expression on her face.  
"Yes!" they all shouted in unison. Weiss turned to her keyboard, running her fingers over the keys. Ruby watched as Weiss took a deep breath and rested her fingers on the keys. She visibly relaxed as she lightly touched the keyboard, centering herself.

Soft, gentle, yet sad notes filled the room as Weiss played. It was slow and drifted from one note to the next.  
"**Mirror, tell me something**_._" Weiss' voice joined the piano, quiet and shy. "**Tell me who's the loneliest of all**_._" Ruby closed her eyes, letting the melancholy wash over her like a rolling tide. She heard the clacking of a keyboard and realised Weiss was adding other tracks. The music died for a few seconds before a rapidly rising cello burst through the silence, washing over Ruby once more.

"**Mirror, tell me something**_._" Weiss sang. "**Tell me who's the loneliest of all**_._" Ruby adored the song and she could almost lose herself in it. But Weiss had been right. Her voice didn't _quite_ match the orchestra that backed her vocals. Ruby could tell, just by listening, that it _did_ need to be higher. Weiss had a nice voice—it was lovely—but she just didn't have the range to match the composition.

Ruby listened, paying extra attention to the vocals. She ran the song through in her head, mentally singing it. Weiss' voice couldn't get quite as high as it needed to be but Ruby could hear the song as it should be sung. It was beautiful: uplifting and melancholy at the same time.

Eventually, it came to an end. Weiss looked up as the last notes died with a shy smile on her face.  
"So," she said. "What do you think?"  
"Wow Weiss," Ruby said with a smile. "That was really, really good."  
"You think so?" Weiss' face lit up with joy.  
"Of course," Ruby replied. "I loved it."  
"Th-thanks," Weiss said as her cheeks turned pink.

"So," Yang said. "What do you think Weiss?"  
"What?"  
"Do you want to join our band? We need a keyboard player, and you're awesome!"  
"No, no." Weiss said with a frown. "I'm nowhere near good enough to join up with you two."  
"Of course you are!" Ruby cried, jumping on the spot. "Come on Weiss, join us. Join us, join us, join us, join us, join us! Please?" Weiss looked at Ruby with a frown. She paused for a few seconds as she pondered then looked up with a smile.  
"Well," she began. "If you'll have me, I'd love to."

Ruby cried out in joy as she ran across the room and threw her arms around Weiss. Weiss rocked back under Ruby's sudden assault, nearly falling off the bed. She looked at Yang and Blake in surprise, like she had no idea what was going on. Yang shrugged at her.  
"She's not going to let go until you hug her back." She said with a crooked smile at Weiss. Weiss hesitantly raised her arms, slowly wrapping them around Ruby in return.

Ruby squeezed Weiss tightly before letting go and jumping back, still bouncing with joy. Blake took a few steps forward, looking at Weiss thoughtfully.  
"Hey Weiss," she said. "Have you ever used your set up for electronic sounds? Or do you just use to overdub orchestral tracks?"  
"I just use it for the orchestra." Weiss replied. "Why?" She looked at Blake thoughtfully.  
"I've got a song I've been working on for a little while, but I want some electronics. If you're as good as I think you are from that, I think you might be able to help me."

Weiss looked at Blake uncertainly.  
"I've never done electronics before. They've never really been my thing." She replied.  
"Well there's a little bit of piano as well, if that makes you feel more comfortable. And we can always give the electronics a trial run. I think you have might have what it takes, if you're willing to try."  
"Sure," Weiss nodded. "I'm happy to give it a try. No promises on how good I'll be though."

"So does this mean you're joining us too?" Yang asked eagerly. Blake gave her an amused smile.  
"No," she said. "But there are guitar, drum and vocal parts to it. So, if you'd like, we can collaborate on it. If this works out well enough, I'll join you. I did say _if_!" She cried as Yang squealed and wrapped her in a hug.  
"Oh this is going to _awesome!_" she cried excitedly.  
"Right," Ruby said as Yang let Blake go. "So where do we start?"

As Blake opened her mouth to answer, a voice echoed through the room from the PA mounted on the wall.  
_"All first year students are to report to the main auditorium immediately. I repeat, all first year student are to report to the main auditorium immediately."  
_The four of them exchanged glances.  
"Anyone know what this is about?" Blake asked. The other three shook their heads. "Well, we'd better go find out." Ruby placed Crescent Rose back in its case before following the other three out the door.

They joined the throng of people that were crowding the corridor and made their way gradually to the auditorium. Ruby looked around as they walked, examining all the other students. It fascinated her that so many people from so many different places would all gather at the same school, and all for the same reason. She couldn't help but wonder what instruments they all played. She also found herself wondering how many played the guitar. _Probably a lot, _she thought ruefully, _Blake wasn't wrong there. A _lot _of people want the glory of being a lead guitarist. _

Eventually they made it into the auditorium, an immense, cavernous room. The grandstand that covered most of the floor space lead down to the stage at the far side of the room. Flashing lights were shining on the stage and musicians were standing on it, wrapping up a sound check.  
"I think they're showing us a concert!" Ruby yelled, straining to be heard over the excited students surrounding them.  
"What?" Yang yelled back, cupping a hand around her ear.  
"_I think they're showing us a concert!_" Ruby screamed. Yang pulled back and nodded uncertainly.  
"I think they're showing us a concert!" She yelled at Ruby. Ruby rolled her eyes and turned away to look for seats.

They found four free seats about halfway down the stair to the stage. None of them knew anyone else at Beacon yet so they all agreed that they might as well sit together. They all settled in their seats, getting comfortable; except Ruby. Ruby was standing up, almost hanging over the seat in front of her. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, eagerly watching the stage. The student in the seat in front of Ruby looked back, annoyed. Ruby issued a hurried apology and stood up straight, still bouncing.

"I wonder who's going to play!" she yelled back at Yang. The students around them were still being incredibly loud.  
"It'll probably be a group of seniors!" Yang yelled back. "Can you sit down?" Ruby hung her head slightly as she slumped into her seat and crossed her arms grumpily. Yang reached over and ruffled her hair with a laugh. Ruby shook Yang's hand off her head and glared at her for a few seconds before breaking into a laugh of her own. She turned her head back to the stage focussing on the group that were walking onto it, instruments in hand.

"Look!" she squealed. "It's starting!" She bounced back to her feet, clapping her hands and cheering. Yang sat back in her chair, rolling her eyes. Blake and Weiss both watched Ruby with amused smiles before turning their attention to the stage as well.

Ruby closed her eyes as the band's singer introduced himself and his band. She waited with bated breath, listening to the confident voice of the senior front man welcoming the freshmen to Beacon. She opened her eyes as lights flashed over the room, shining through her eyelids. Ruby gaped at the stage in joy as the band on show raised their hands to the crowd. Ruby raised her hand as well, leading the students around her to do the same. Within seconds the entire audience was standing out of their seats, holding up a fist.

The drummer gave a quick count, clicking his sticks together before slamming the cymbals when the guitars joined in. Ruby watched on in awe and rapture as the music hit her with all the force of a charging bull and she lost herself in its charge.


End file.
